Metal frame and interlocking joint



H. M. GORSLINE METAL FRAME AND INTERLOGKING JOINT Filed Nov. 15 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NQ Q A Q [V A f n f wn l wei] i i l W N5 l d 1 *1" IIN i h l Q\ I g i x l A \{1.=/ l [h A @A i A A A A u il u 7X7 @am @M (27%] Nov. 13, m3. 11,473,817

' H. M. GORSLINE METAL FRAME AND INTERLOCKING JOINT Filed Nov. l5 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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H. M. GORSLENE METAL FRAME AND INTERLOCKING JOINT Filed Nov, l5 1919 Nov. 13 i923.

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TURIN@ GOMPANY, F MILES, MICMGAN, A. CORPORATION @F MICHIGAN.

i METAL )FME AND XNTERLOCKXNG J'QJINT.

Application med November l; 19W. serial No. tdt.-

To all 'whom t may concerne.'

Be it known that l HATHAWAY M. GonsmNn, a citizen of the nited States, residing at Niles, in the county of Berrien and State e of Michigan, have invented new and useful improvements in Metal Frames and Interlocking Joints, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates broadly to means for 11o securin structural parts together, and more particu arly to means for securing metal parts to each other, though it is not limited in its application to such use. Among its objects are to provide for securing two structuralparts together and holding them in xed but detachable relation; to provide means whereby a structure may be built up in sections by attaching additional parts to the portion already constructed' to provide means whereby a structure may he lengthened not onl longitudinally but ma be lengthened hy having an extension uilt transversely to the length of the part a1- ready constructed; to provide means whereby the top of the structure may be extended to form an overhang; to provide means for supporting a facin plate for, the top extension, and such urther objects, advantages, -and capabilities as Ywill later more tu y appear. My invention further resides in the combinatlon, construction, and larrangement of parts illustrated in the accompaying drawings, and while l have shown therein a preferred embodiment, ll desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not as limiting my invention.

While I have shown my invention as used in they construction of a lunch counter or a cafeteria counter, I desire it to be undert@ stood that this is done merely because of greater ease and clearness in illustration.

rllhis inventionis useful not only in connection with counters but in many other structures as, for example, in the construction of commercial bodies of light delivery trucks.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming part of this specication, Fig. 1 is a per# spective view of a lunch counter frame showing inl a general way how my invention is t@ applied to such a structure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a frame for a cafeteria tion of a post with an end of the supporting rail detached therefrom. Fig 5 is a cross section showing in elevation one of the posts havlng a supporting rail secured in place and held therein by a locking element. Fig.

6 is a broken section of a post and supportin rall, the two being held in assembled re ation by the'locking element. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one section'of a cafeteria counter showin the manner in which the parts are secured together, taken along the line 7-7 of Fig..8. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of Fig. 7 showing a frame with top and facing elements in position. Fig. 9 is a plan of the cornerv extension for a lunch counter and Fi 10 is a vertical section along the plane in icated b the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

llt should be understood that the lunch counter construction differs from that of the y cafeteria counter only in the extension and the-size of the top and facing plates.

Referring in detail to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates the front posts and 2 the rear posts of a counter, while 3 refers to longitudinal and 4 to transverse angle bars used in the construction of the counter. Base elements 5 may be used to support the structure, and it is of course understood that the structure of these supporting elements may vary according to what is desired.

he posts are provided with horizontal apertures 6 and spaced but adjacent vertical apertures 7 adapted to receive tongues 8 and 9 respectively. The formation of these tongues will be perfectly obvious from Figs. 3 and t. It will be seen in Fig 3 that an angle iron l0 is secured to the inner side of the angle bar 3 or 4, as the case may be, this angle iron having one end, which engages and is secured to an inner face of the angle bar, and its second end provided with a tongue 9 having a slot 11, one face'of which is`5slightly inclined to the vertical so that when the tongue is inserted in the slot 7 and pushed downwardl the angle iron 10, and with it bar 3, will he eey drawn tightly against the post to prevent any looseness of connection. A similar inclination of the inner face of tongue 8 accomplishes the same result for the top connection. The upper ends of the posts are provided with apertures 12 corresponding to horizontal apertures 6, for the reception of tongues 8 of the top rails or bars.

The middle and lower bars may be locked in place by means of resilient clips 6', generally U-shaped in form and having one arm provided with a plurality of reverse curves adapted to engage a Wall of the post and hold the parts in position. (See Figs. 5 and 6.)

In order to convert a cafeteria counter into a lunch counter, overhangs or extensions are attached to the top ends of the posts by means of extension bars 15 and 16. These extension pieces are secured at one end to short posts 17, as by spot Welding, riveting, or the like. It will be noted in connection with extension bars 15 and 16 that they have their outer ends bent downwardly as shown at 15 to furnish a support to which posts 17 may be attached. These extensions have their opposite ends secured to the posts in the same manner that longitudinal and transverse bars 3 and 4 are secured to said posts. Supported by posts 17 are x-shaped supporting plates 18, 19, and 20', the plates 18 and 19 being united to a short corner post 21, which may have slots 12 for connection of the supporting plate but is not so shown, and the plates 19 being provided with cut away portions and tongues 8', corresponding to tongues 8, to engage apertures 12 in the tops of posts 17. The plates 20 are attached to extension pieces 16 in the manner indicated above, and as illustrated in Fig. 9. Upon the flange 22 of these supporting members or plates, 18, 19, 20 may be mounted facing plates 23, as of Vitrolite, having their upper edges engaging the under surface of the top 24 of the counter. These facing plates 23 are held in position by means 'of corner caps 25 secured in place by means of bolts 26. If the counter is very long, it will be necessary to use several of these facing plates1 and their junction will then be covered b a short cover plate similar to plate 27, to e described.

The large face of the counter below the overhang will be covered by facing material 23', as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the joints at the corners `of the counter being covered by the angle cover plates 25', and the joints between sections of the facing material being covered by cover plates 27 (Fig. 7), held in lace by bolts 26.

aving now described my invention, I claim: l1. A frame comprising a supporting member having elongated openings disposed at an agle to each other, an a connecting member having portions detachably fitting in said openings for connecting said members together, said openings being longer than said portions for permitting movement of the portions to and from fitting position.

2. A frame comprising a supporting member having elongated openings disposed at an angle to each other, a connecting member having portions detachably fitting in said openings for connecting said members together, said openings being longer than said portions for permitting movement of the portions to and from fitting position, and a resilient locking element detachably engaging said members for maintaining said members connected together.

3. In a structure of the character described, the combination of posts, supporting plates detachably connected to the posts, facing plates resting on said supporting plates and bearing laterally lagainstthe outer faces of said posts, binding members overlying the end portions of said facing plates, and means connecting said members to the posts for holding the facing plates in place.

4. In a structure of the character described, posts, bars connecting said posts, facing plates restin laterally against said posts, binding mem ers overlying the extremities of said facing plates, said binding members having attaching means by which they are held to the posts, thereby holding the facing plates in place, and a top plate resting on the posts and bars and forming a cover for the structure..

5. A frame comprising posts and frame bars, the posts having spaced apertures disposed at an angle to each other, said bars having correspondingly arranged hooks at the ends thereof and extending into said apertures to hold said posts and bars in close engagement, said apertures being elongated in the same direction for insertion and move'- ment of said hooks into and from .holding position. A

6. A frame comprisin a post provided with proximately .locate and spaced slots being respectively vertically and horizontally arranged, and a frame bar having a horizontally arranged tongue engaging the horizontally arranged Slot and a vert1cally arranged tongue engaging the vertically arranged slot.

7. A frame bar comprising a troughshaped member provided at its ends with tongues bent at nearly a right angle to the direction of the bar, said bar having secured adjacent its ends angle members having tongues extending in the same direction as the first-named tongues and having a slightly inclined face to cause the bar to be drawn yinto close engagement with a supporting rmember and to be held in firm relation thereto.

8. A metal frame compr1sing a plurality 'lid of posts connected by a plurality of bars at right angles to the posts, and a top extension connected to the posts and adapted to support a top plate and an edge facing plate.

9. A metal frame comprising a plurality of posts connected by a plurality of bars at rig t angles to the posts, and a top extension connected to the posts and adapted to support a\ top plate and an edge facing plate, the posts being provided with apertures adaptedtoreceive tongues on the bars and extensions, and said bars and extensions having tongues adapted to engage the posts ywhere apertured to hold the parts in assembled relation.

10. A framey comprising a post having spaced and relatively inclined apertures, and a bar having spaced relatively inclined tongues engaging in said apertures for connecting the bar to the post, said apertures being elongated in the same direction for entry and movement of tongues into and from connectin position.

11. A metal rame comprising a plurality of posts connected by a plurality of bars at right angles to the posts, and a top extension connected to the posts and adapted to support a top plate and an edge facing plate, the supportfor the facing plate comprising an elongated plate bent along longitudinal lines to have in cross section a -form.

12. ln a structure of the character described, a frame comprising hollow posts provided with an larly related elongated apertures in the si e walls of said posts, and connecting bars having angularly related spaced-hooks at the ends of said bars and extending into said apertures in the posts. 13. In a structure of the character described, a frame comprisin hollow posts provided with an ularl reated elongated apertures in the si e wal s of said posts, connecting bars having angularly related spaced hooks `at the ends of said bars and extending into said apertures in the posts, and locking means to hold the bars in assembled relation with the posts. 14. ln a vstructure of the character described, upright and angularl notched and apertured posts, .bars provided7 at their ends with pro'ections connecting said posts, art of sald ars having their upper` sur aces Hush with the upper ends of said posts whereby to form a substantially smooth upper surface for the frameand to support a top.

15. ln a structure of the character described, a frame comprising a plurality of posts having notched and apertured upper ends, supporting bars provided at their ends with tongues engaging the notches and apertures in the posts and positioned to have their upper surfaces flush` with the lupper ends of the posts, and extension bars provided with tongues cooperating with said notches andv apertures to be supportedin a position to support an overhan ing top.

16.111 a structure of the c aracter .described, a frame comprising a plurality-of posts havingnotched and apertured upper ends, supporting bars provided at their ends with tongues engaging the notches and apertures in the posts and positioned to have their upper surfaces Hush with the upper ends of the posts, extension bars rovided with tongues cooperating with sai notches and apertures to be supported in a position to support an overhanging top, and connecting and supporting means joining the free ends of the extenslon bars and to support facing strips.

17. In a structure of the character described, a plurality of posts having notched land apertured upper ends, supporting bars provided at their ends with tongues engaging the notches and apertures in the posts and positioned to have their upper surfaces flush with the upper ends of the posts, extension bars provided with tongues cooperating with said notchesand apertures to be supported in a position to support an overhanging top, connecting and supporting means joining the free ends of the extension bars to support facing strips, facing strips supported by said last named means, and joint covering means secured to the posts and covering the joints between the facing stri s.

18. In a structure'of the character escribed, posts, barsconnecting said posts, facing plates restin laterally against said posts, binding mem ers overlying the extremities of said facing plates, said binding members having attaching means extending through the posts, by which the are held to the posts, thereby holding the acin plates in p ace, and a top plate resting on t e posts and bars and forming a cover for the structure.

19. A frame comprising a post having spaced and relatively inclined apertures, a bar having spaced and relatively inclined tongues engaging' in said apertures for connecting the bar tothe posts, and a resilient lookin member inserted in one of said apertures etween a side thereof and said bar to hold the bar in locking engagement with the posts.

20. A frame comprising a supportin member having a plurality of side walls an elongatedy openin in sald side walls, said openings being disposed at an angle to each other, and connecting members having end portions fitting selectivel in the openings ill() in any of said side walls or connectin said porting member having a plura ity of side walls and elongated openings provided in said side walls, said openings being arranged at an angle to each other, and. a, connecting In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe member having elongated `projectlons army name to this specieation in the presence ranged at an angle to each other, and fitting of two witnesses.

selectively in the openinjso'f any sidewall HATHAWAY M. GORSLINE. of said supporting mem er for connecting Witnesses; sad'members together at any side of said FRANCIS I-I. FLYNN,

supporting members. I. R. BARTLETT. 

